We spend $300 a month for food. Dh and i hate going to the grocery store so i wait until my shelves are bare to go. I do make and take a list. I don't make nightly meals yet(just food for myself cause dh eats like a bird) so maybe that is why we don't spend a lot of money.
The one thing i can't get figured out is how to make frozen veggies actually taste good. Maybe if they tasted better than bland i would eat them more often.

oh I need in on this! We are vegetarian (except for dh who eats meat once or twice a week) and our food bill for five is aroun $1000/month! Yeah..you read that right I have no idea why it is so high, I just spend a TON on food. We o buy some alcohol, but not much..maybe $50/month and dh drinks the expensive beer so it's not much...a couple drink per week. We don't buy sode, we don't buy much meat..maybe $20 a month...just LOTS of veggies and grains. I do buy only organic for the most part though, and that's a big expense. We have no cleaning supplies bill because I make our cleaners, no tp bill cuz we use family cloth...I'm honestly not sure where the money goes. I'm reading wiht interest....

I'm in! We have been spending WAY too much on food. I just started something new this week...I have about 20 meals that are quick and easy to prepare. I printed a blank calander and entered these meals up to 2 times per month. Then I created a list of what each meal requires to be made including side dishes. When I went to the store, I knew exactly what I needed and the menu is on the fridge so nothing goes to waste! Hopefully we will save enough $$ to stock up on certian items when they go on sale.

I would love in on this too. I try to spend about $500 a month for a family of 5. WE only have terrible grocery stores here. I just started feeding 3 extra teenagers for lunch everyday...I need all the frugal menus I can get.

This is our problem as well. I don't crave it, DH does. He decides what I've taken out for dinner doesn't sound good and goes and gets it, or orders in chinese or pizza. We are spending WAY too much, especially given our current financial situation. It's like a very bad circle that we can't break out of. I give in often because I'm just too tired to argue or really don't feel like cooking anyway.

I was using the crock pot a lot, but cleaning it just keeps getting put off. It's always going to go in the next load! YIKES!

Help is great as is support! THanks!

__________________
Laura, Wife to my best friend, Mommy to Alex , 9-14-04, and Lucas , 8-20-07
1 in 110 children in the US have an Autism Spectrum Disorder and I'm proud that two of them are mine.

our monthly budget when we were in the states was $250 for 4 people and lived in one of the more expensive sections of the country. I did clip some coupons. there are some great sites to go to:

kraftfoods.com
boodle.com (has them based on your area)
bettycrocker.com

I have heard great things about the grocery game thing and they recommend that you combine the coupons with the sales to get the absolute best deals. And then you can buy in bulk.

a great web site for recipes based on what you have in your pantry is
allrecipes.com

What we do to cut down on costs now is use a lot of low-cost staples. Instead of basing your meal off the meat (which a lot of people in the U.S. do, but the rest of the world tends to focus on a carb or veggies) base your meal off of rices, breads, potatoes, dry beans (canned beans are much more expensive).
Get creative with how you combine foods. Like last night we had a supper based around potatoes. We topped potatoes with assorted veggies and sour cream flavored with herbs. It was great!

Also, check to find out if you have a "damaged" goods store in your area. It may take some searching to find. Our area had two and they were run by Amish and Mennonites. They sell foods that are just past their shelf life date (many foods this is no indicator of actual spoilage), the boxes may be damaged, labels torn on a can, etc. We could get canned veggies 6 for $1.00, chicken broth for $0.1, cereal for $1.00. Really great deals. If family members are picky about the appearance invest in some rubbermaid containers and transfer the food immediately after you buy it. Also, ours has a yearly grocery auction for non-perishables.

Also, finding a farmer to buy meat from is great!!! We used to get turkey meat 2 times a year. The ground turkey was $0.79/lb.

Good luck on saving money! Our strategies are quite a bit different here, but I've been exploring new ways to save for when we return to the states next year.